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University  of  Oregon  Leaflet  Series 

Published  by  the  Extension  Division 

Botanical  Series,  No.  9  November,  1917  Vol.  3,  No.  4,  Part  1 


Puff  Balls 


By  ALBERT  R.  SWEETSER 

Professor  of  Botany  in  the  University  of  Oregon,  Eugene 


Figure  1 

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to  the  Extension  Division,  University  of  Oregon. 

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* 


Puff  Balls 

Toadstool  Family  ( Basidiomycetes ) 

ALL  puff  balls  are  edible.  “What,”  someone  says,  “not 
^  those  little  brown  balls,  growing  in  the  pastures,  that  send 
out  a  brown  dust  when  trodden  upon,  they  are  not  good 
to  eat?”  Certainly  not  in  that  stage,  but  if  gathered  while 
white  within  every  member  of  this  group  is  not  only  safe  but 
delicious  to  eat,  and  cannot  be  mistaken  for  anything  else. 
They  grow  entirely  above  the  ground  or  the  surface  of  dead 
wood  or  whatever  they  may  be  on,  and  when  cut  look  spongy 
within  and  never  show  any  trace  of  gill.  The  latter  will  dis¬ 
tinguish  them  from  the  young  or  button  stage  of  the  common 
gill-bearing  mushroom. 

Some  puff  balls  are  no  larger  than  one’s  thumb,  while  a  few 
species  attain  the  size  of  a  small  pumpkin,  with  variation 
between  these  limits. 


Figure  3 


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Figure  1  is  the  small,  meadow  puff  ball,  Lycoperdon  gem- 
metum.  The  upper  left  hand  one  has  matured  and  broken  open 
by  a  sort  of  mouth  to  let  the  spores  escape. 

Figure  3  shows  the  thick  skinned,  giant  puff  ball,  Lycoperdon 
cyathiforme. 

There  is  an  interesting  sort  of  a  fungus  known  as  an  Earth 
Star,  Geaster.  At  first  this  appears  like  any  other  puff  ball,  but 
has  a  very  thick  skin.  Later,  this  skin  splits  down  and  flattens 
out,  giving  the  appearance  of  a  star,  in  the  center  of  which  is 
perched  a  thin  skinned  puff  ball,  Figure  4. 


Cooking 

These  puff  balls  may  be  cooked  in  any  of  the  ways  that 
mushrooms  are  served.  If  they  have  a  thick  skin  they  will  need 
to  be  peeled.  Remember  that  they  must  never  be  used  after 
they  begin  to  turn  color  within,  but  only  while  they  are  white 
and  spongy. 


Detailed  Description 

If  cut  lengthwise  when  young,  they  will  appear  more  or 
less  spongy  within.  In  some,  Figure  2.  A,  this  spongy  structure 
fills  the  whole  of  the  inside,  while  in  others  there  is  a  denser 
basal  portion.  If  it  were  possible  to  examine  a  bit  of  this  spongy 
portion  under  a  microscope,  we  should  find  it  to  be  made  up  of 
compacted  masses  of  fine  fungus  threads  known  as  hyphae,  so 


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Section  of  LoU 


Figure.  <&»• 


disposed  as  to  form  cavities,  giving  rise  to  the  spongy  appear¬ 
ance.  On  the  ends  of  the  threads  terminating  in  these  cavities 
are  the  spores.  This  characteristic  places  puff  balls  in  the 
toadstool  family. 

There  are  different  provisions  for  the  escape  and  dissemina¬ 
tion  of  the  spores.  In  some  cases,  when  ripe,  the  whole  top 
bursts  and  liberates  the  cloud  of  spores;  In  others,  a  hole  or  pore 
forms  and  the  escape  must  be  through  this.  Some  go  to  pieces 
and  decay  where  they  are,  and  must  depend  on  the  breezes  to 
scatter  their  spores;  while  others  break  away  from  their 
attachment  and  go  bowling  along,  scattering  their  spores  over 
a  wide  area. 

Food  Value 

In  these  days  of  strenuous  conservation,  the  fleshy  fungi 
are  worth  considering  as  an  article  of  food.  In  former  times, 
extravagant  claims  were  made  for  them,  being  called,  by  some, 
vegetable  meat.  This  was  due  to  the  supposedly  high  nitrogen 
content.  But  when  we  consider  the  large  percent  of  moisture 
which  they  contain^.and  the  fact  that  possibly  not  all  the 
nitrogen  can  be  used  for  food,  it  will  be  seen  that  their  value 
is  somewhat  diminished.  Some  authorities  consider  them  of  no 
more  value  than  cabbage  or  other  common  vegetables,  and  so 
not  worth  the  risk. 

But  undoubtedly  they  are  a  valuable  addition  to  our  dietary, 
and  if  one  sticks  to  perfectly  known  forms,  they  are  safe  and 
are  worthy  to  be  included  as  an  article  of  food. 


